The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die?

An investigation by MIT Technology Review reveals significant failures in the US government’s multibillion-dollar 'virtual wall' of surveillance technology. Despite the deployment of AI-enabled towers designed to detect and track border crossers, the study found that migrant deaths frequently occur within the immediate vicinity of these systems. By cross-referencing thousands of locations where human remains were discovered with the placement of nearly 600 surveillance towers, journalists uncovered a pattern where advanced technology fails to trigger timely humanitarian or law enforcement interventions. The case of José Morales Bernal, who died of environmental exposure just 360 feet from a surveillance tower, highlights the gap between the intended purpose of these systems—situational awareness and life-saving intervention—and the reality on the ground. The report suggests that while the government continues to invest heavily in automated border monitoring, these tools are often ineffective at preventing tragedies in the borderlands.